Pakistan OKs more U.S. military training

April 29, 2009|By Julian E. Barnes, TRIBUNE NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON — The Pakistani government has agreed to allow the U.S. a greater role in training its military, part of an informal agreement that also will send counterinsurgency equipment -- possibly including helicopters -- to help Islamabad step up its offensive against militants.

Washington has been watching with growing alarm as Taliban forces have made military gains in Pakistan, and U.S. officials have stepped up pressure on Islamabad to do more.

Although the Pakistani military began a broad offensive against the Taliban on Tuesday, senior U.S. defense officials remain deeply worried about Islamabad's ability to beat back the militant advance.

Long shaped by threat of a war with India, the Pakistani military is armed mostly with heavy weaponry and lacks the kind of equipment useful in fighting an insurgency. And after months of fighting, the government forces that have been hunting militants are exhausted.

"You have a Pakistani military that is battle-weary," a senior defense official said.

"Their equipment is aged and not effective for the fight they are in." The official, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the U.S-Pakistan relationship.

On his trip last week to Pakistan, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, continued to press Pakistan to take the militant force more seriously. Pakistani military chief Ashfaq Kayani outlined for Mullen a series of steps he was planning, including the new offensive.

Over the long term, the U.S. military believes training the Pakistanis' light infantry and commando units is crucial to countering the Taliban threat.

But so far, Pakistan has allowed in only about 70 U.S. Special Operations trainers -- an effort the American military has long been eager to expand.

The new agreement would have the U.S. military train Pakistani officers outside of Pakistan. The Pentagon has offered to train the Pakistanis in the U.S., but a senior administration official said the location of the additional training has not been finalized.

"The issue now is how do you do it, where do you do it," the senior administration official said. "We are responding to the Pakistani military's request."